Udo Bullmann presents roadmap for a sustainable Europe in London

The head of the Group of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament, Udo Bullmann travelled to London to present the report of the Independent Commission for Sustainable Equality (ICSE) at a conference organised by the LSE Conflict and Civil Society Research Unit (LSE CSS) in partnership with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and Another Europe Is Possible.

S&D Group president Udo Bullmann said:

“We are looking forward to going to London in order to present our roadmap for a more just and sustainable Europe. Europe is in the grip of several interlinked crises – social, environmental, political. In order to address these crises, we Socialists and Democrats put forward a fundamentally new approach to policy making.

“We do not want to simply paint the neoliberal model green as others suggest. Such a one-dimensional approach inevitably puts the burden of the transition on the weakest members of society, thus deepening social inequalities. If we want to ensure wellbeing for the many, not only the few, we have to address the root cause of our problems: an economic model of greed and deregulation that is built on the exploitation of our planet and the people. In order to change this model and put Europe on a track of sustainable well-being for all, we want to use the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as our compass.

“Presenting our agenda in the United Kingdom has not become less, but more important in the light of Brexit. The lies and manipulations of the Brexiters could only be heard because people were deeply dissatisfied with a Europe that left many behind. We would like to show how a better Europe is possible. The UK will always belong to Europe, and we will continue to have common challenges to address. We should ensure to do so in the closest and most effective way possible. UK Labour is an essential part of our political family and we have achieved a lot together, that cooperation will continue long into the future. We fully support them in their fight against the lies and xenophobia of Nigel Farage and his allies.”